Mayor's response on transport, student housing, internet use, diabetes, disabled using rail transport, pub closures, northern economy

Mayor’s response to transport cost concerns

The recent debate about the cost of mayoral cars is an important one and as the current mayor I hope to be able to provide a unique insight.

Although the current arrangements under which a mayoral car is provided were taken well before my time, and which the mayor cannot influence, I agree that where possible they should travel to events under their own steam.

Since becoming mayor I have made my own way to events on many occasions and will continue to do so. However, there are times where this may not be possible.

Although I myself live close to Lancaster City Centre and public transport and cycle networks, this is not always the case. We are a rural district and many past mayors have lived in the countryside far from the main towns.

Rural bus services, as we know, can be few and far between and cycle networks less so, and without an official car this could make it difficult to attend events which run late into the evening due to the prospect of not being able to return home.

The same is true in reverse – events can be held in our district’s many rural villages and without official transport this would make attendance problematic.

Event organisers may request the mayor’s regalia and mayor’s chains – which need to be transported securely - and a car and driver are also needed for logistical reasons.

For example, they may be required to be dropped off at a certain location and the car then moved off to a designated parking space. In these circumstances it is not possible for the mayor to drive themselves.

Since becoming mayor I’ve developed a unique appreciation for just how much hard work was undertaken by my predecessors.

Every year the position of mayor promotes and supports local businesses and raises thousands of pounds for local charities.

Without official transport this may not be possible, although I do agree that to keep costs down the mayor needs to travel under their own steam if at all possible.

Coun Andrew Kay, Mayor of Lancaster

Can we stop student housing?

According to the Lancaster Guardian (planning applications, August 30), more student rooms are planned for the city centre, this time in Dalton Square.

Earlier this year, Private Eye’s architecture correspondent singled out Lancaster as a place being ruined by the rush to build student accommodation, much of which looks dreadful.

The plans listed in the Guardian are for a six storey block in Dalton Square. Anyone walking through the square will see the disastrous visual effect of a six storey block. It will dominate the square in a most unpleasant way.

Is it too late to stop this? We already have the ugly yellow block that hovers over the old bus garage on Caton Road.

Added to this, the huge student block being built on the same road will dominate the entry to the city centre.

I’ve no objection to student housing as such because I think the students liven up the city, but I don’t think we want any more ugly new buildings looming over us in Dalton Square.

Michael Pidd, Address supplied

We don’t all go on web

When are firms going to realise that not everyone owns a computer or, more importantly, wants to go ‘on the web’.

I am so sick of hearing the words “go to www etc” and this is after pressing one, two, three to get this final instruction and 
probably having held on the line for ages.

Nowadays you can only be certain of a human voice when it is a scam call.

Edna Levi, Email address supplied

Causes of diabetes

Yet again calls are being made for something to be done to stop the rise in Type 2 diabetes.

The cause of most such cases is pure and simple – the inability of people to control their intake of unhealthy food. Surely educational messages should concentrate on this line of prevention rather than expecting food manufacturers or the Government